Paul, who has more than 25 years’ experience, joins as a Group Partner and will head up the firm’s Cambridge planning team, which has grown significantly in recent years.
Paul has been in the post of Senior Director in CBRE’s London Planning Team for ten years and is a member of their Senior Management Board.
He has extensive experience in delivering planning approvals for major mixed-use schemes including the Francis Crick Institute, a new one million sq ft, £600m world- class research facility, which is the largest in Europe. He also led on the Harrow View proposals for a major 55-acre mixed-use development of strategic industrial land to deliver 387,000 sq ft of commercial and 54,000 sq ft of retail floor space together with 1,200 residential units.
His career has involved delivering planning approvals for major mixed-use, as well as controversial and non-policy compliant schemes. He has worked with a number of major clients including Ballymore, Barratt Homes and Transport for London for a host of key sectors such as health, education and life sciences.
Mike Derbyshire, Head of Planning at Bidwells, said: “We are delighted that Paul will be joining Bidwells. His capability is perfectly aligned to our firm’s strategy of offering clients access to specialist high growth real estate markets in the Golden Triangle of Oxford, Cambridge and London and sector-leading work in science, technology and education.”
Paul added: “After ten years of exile in London, I am delighted to be returning to the region and to such a highly respected company as Bidwells, the pre-eminent property advisor within the Cambridge-Oxford-London Golden Triangle. It is an exciting time given the growth of the business and the importance that our region has to the future of the UK.
“The experience and knowledge I bring will complement an already strong team of multi-disciplinary professionals. Together we will be able to enhance the value of the advice we give to our clients as we tackle the challenges of a dynamically changing property market; from housing, to science, health and education, to the need for greater economic diversification and not forgetting the influences Brexit will have in the years ahead.
“I am looking forward to working closely with my new colleagues and our strategic partners, and to providing the opportunities for our clients to achieve the very best and to exploit the opportunities that the future holds for us all.”
Outside work, Paul will shortly complete more than 30 years’ service in the Army Reserve, during which time he has seen mobilised service in the Former Yugoslavia, commanded a Reserve Signals Regiment and more recently was one of four Assistant Heads in the Army's Basing & Infrastructure Directorate. Over his career he has risen from the rank of Private soldier to Colonel and was awarded an OBE for leadership by the Queen in the New Year’s Honours List 2006. He will take up his position in April.
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